Installing basic XFCE with debian base installation

Ok, this post comes from a person whose only prior experience with Linux is using Ubuntu 6.06 with only its GUI tools.

I recently got an 5 yr old machine from my professor that has 1.33 Ghz and 512 MB Ram. So I decided to install a system which is less resource hungry. I installed the debian base installation and I am connected to internet.

Now I want to install a basic XFCE with its core components (which I believe would require a basic X server installation). I have used Synaptic Package Manager on my ubuntu before for installing packages. I tried to use the package manager that came with base installation but I couldnt get it to working. When I try to install XFCE desktop manager from the list, it selects tons of other packages too which I dont want and in the end I cant get it to run. It throws up all kinds of X server error.

Can you tell me the apt-get commands that I need to run to get such a system up?

I just want the basic XFCE window manager with Synaptic package Manager. After that I think I can get my system up with the programs that I require.

Re: Installing basic XFCE with debian base installation

I sugest using aptitude instead of apt-get. I guess it was this you tested.Its not so hard.

run 'aptitude' as root

First a setting that is good to change.'F10'. 'right arrow' till the menu 'settings'.Choose an option called something like'dependencies'. (I've got the swedish version )choose to NOT install recomended packagesautomaticly.

Now lets start...

press 'u' to update your list.

press '/' and then write what to search for. 'n' to search for next.

When anything interesting is foundpress '+' to mark it for installationpress '-' to remove itpress 'enter' for information about itand 'q' to go back

I sugest you select the package 'xfce4' first.press 'g'.Now a list with what is to be installed is showed.This is what is required but sometimes there aremore choises so it could be worth looking aroundin the list.

then press 'g' again to install all the packages.

press 'q' till you quit.

Now it's time to start X. and from here your alone,I don't rememeber all details.

But try 'startx'. If there is some errors with X try'Xorg -configure'

And ask if there is any problem. I don't know howdetailed you wan't me to be, hope this is good.

It is not as easy as ubuntu always, but it's fastand stable and I like it. Good luck/Martin

Re: Installing basic XFCE with debian base installation

Hi all,I got a similar problem: I'm trying to install a debian stable on a PIII with 384MB Ram...I want to go through a netinst which should install just the essential.My problem is that with apt-get install xfce4, it installs many useless things ( plugins etc... ) and I would like a basic XFCE4 with a graphical packet manager.Should I give first an apt-get install aptitude and then following the guide above or what else?

Re: Installing basic XFCE with debian base installation

aptitude is included with the debian base install. I suggest you do just the base install, then once that is done and the machine is rebooted login as root or su to root(recommended way). Then do the following commands:

# aptitude update# aptitude install xorg xfce4 gdm sudo synaptic

the gdm and sudo are optional, if you want a graphical login then install gdm, if not then once you login start x and xfce by typing startx at the command prompt.sudo is nice for security reasons. if you install sudo you will want to login as root or su to root then type:

# vim /etc/sudoersuse your arrow keys to navigate and you will see a line in there that has root ALL=(ALL) ALL something like that and move the cursor to the end of that line and press the insert key and press enter, now you will putusername ALL=(ALL) ALL

I don't remember exactly how the ALL part is in the file but basically you are duplicating the root line except with your username.Once you have that finished the hit the esc key to get out of insert mode and then type :x! and hit enter to save the file